Ben France- Apocalypse Now

The movie Apocalypse Now is about the struggles between good and evil. The idea that good has trouble over coming evil and that good does not always win. The movie is about the individual struggles Lieutenant Willard has during his time spent in Vietnam during the war.
The story focuses on Lieutenant Willard’s journey into the jungle of Vietnam. Willard travels up a river on a navy patrol boat in his pursuit of a rogue General Kurdtz that the U.S army as told Willard to kill. His journey on the river is quite symbolic. The river symbolizes a change taken place in Willard a transformation. Willard and the crew traveling further and further up the river symbolize them moving out of civilization and into the dark and unknown. The theme while traveling on the boat is to never leave the boat because out in the jungle is where civilization no longer exists and where pure evil lives. The scene where Willard comes out of the water to kill Kurdtz shows his Willard being a messenger for civilization and killing the corrupt.
On of the major themes throughout the film is the idea of darkness and the distinction between what is civilization and what is not. In the film darkness symbolizes lack of civilization. As they go deeper into the jungle the darker it gets and the less civilized it becomes around them. Even when Willard gets to where Kurdtz is located the entire scene when they speak to each other is dark, suggesting complete madness.
Madness is also a central theme in the film. As the company moves further up the river each one of them break down mental. This is very clear in the case of Lance. He becomes completely mad and assumes the role of a non-civilized man.